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Far away from Starbucks, shopping malls, and luxury resorts lies a vast land untouched by time, where nomads travel by camel and live in felt tents.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan” is titled after the great Mongolian leader Kublai Khan, who organized and ruled over China in the 13^th century.  His grandfather, Genghis Khan, had conquered the territory after uniting the tribes of Mongolia into a military state.  At its peak, the Mongol dynasty stretched from Korea to Hungary and as far south as Vietnam, becoming the largest empire that ever was. 

Xanadu, the “summer” capitol where Khan resided in a lavish palace, inspired Western interest in the East after famed explorer Marco Polo wrote about it.  Six hundred years later, Coleridge wrote “Kubla Khan,” which begins:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

Although his poem was an imaginary vision, the beauty it evokes can be found in the land that is known as Mongolia today.

Mongolia has remained relatively unchanged for centuries; it is one of the few countries that retains its ancient traditions and has one of the only horse-based, nomadic cultures in the world.  The countryside, unscarred by industrialization or intensive agriculture, is exceptionally beautiful and sustains some of the last pristine ecosystems in Asia.

There are several ways to explore the wonder that is Mongolia, just 2½  hours by air from the capital of Beijing.  Many travelers are interested in discovering the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle.  Nomadic families are traditionally very welcoming and offer passing travelers warmth and generosity in their homes---white felt tents called gers.

The ger has religious and superstitious rules associated with it, and is the focal point of many Mongolian customs and traditions.  Even in the cities, most Mongolians live in gers, which can be moved easily and have a universal layout (the door always faces south, and on the back wall is the family altar, with Buddhist images and family photos.)